Maybe Missing
by Stor-E-Phool
Summary: Kip is visiting a mysterious someone by night, and Princess Celia can't help but pry... she has nothing else to do, you know. This is my best writing yet, and there is more to come. Stay tuned and be sure to give me suggestions, comments and critiques!


**Maybe Missing**

_**By Stor-E-Phool**_

_**A/N: Hey, this fanfiction was betaed by LazyCatfish27, and invented by me! I hope you enjoy a new take on the heroine, Princess Celia! Happy reading.**_

The moon was rising over the Flower Kingdom, with only fifteen days until the Ball at Saint Lyon. Quietly, a small figure detatched itself from the shadow of Waltz Castle and made it's way East, toward the forrest. It's cape bellowed as it moved, and its mask hid its identity as the moon light illuminated it's silhouette.

Finally, the figure stopped at the Viennese Waltz Lake, and stared out over the waters, its reflection crisp and clear on the surface. He halted there for a moment, taking in the soft breeze blowing over the lake, and listening as a chorus of crickets and cicadas rang from the grasses around him. The figure drew his hand to the clasp of his cloak, and pulled. Immediately, the cape dropped to the ground, and the figure's suit came into view. He wore a plain, black tuxedo with a deep violet bow tie peeking out from underneath the collar. Clothing for a formal occasion...

The figure lifted his arms in a peculiar manner. Slowly, he began to sway back and forth, silent words flowing from his lips. He stepped lightly, allowing his feet to guide him across the grass and flowers growing near the banks. His tailcoat fluttered behind him, trying to keep up with his quick, graceful movements. It seemed like hours before he finally took his last bow to his invisible partner and stepped back toward his abandoned cloak. He swung it back to its rightful place on his shoulders and reclasped it around his neck. He looked out onto the waters once again, a sorrowful expression raised itself to the surface of his features.

"'Til we meet again, _my sweet_...." He raised his hand in farewell to the lake and turned away, hiding his face from whomever would see his tears in this illuminated night.

The figure made his way back up the path to the castle, shuddering as a whisper carried over the lake in response to his call: "....Goodbye, Kip...."

.oO0Oo.

The morning dew clasped itself to the pedals of a rose as the sun began to rise on Waltz Castle. The air was still crisp with the scents of the night, and the flowers seemed almost as if they dreaded waking from their slumber. The courtyard of Waltz Castle was just beginning to bustle with servants tending to royal demands and castle upkeep, and the guardsman was, as always, keeping his silent vigil over the entrance.

A shriek rang throughout the quiet of the morning, rattling even the sleepiest sluggard from her rest. A young girl dashed into the garden, still in her white sleeping gown, face an angry red color.

"By the _Vine_, Princess Celia! What the _Morning Glories_ is the matter?!" Exclaimed a heavy-set nervous-looking maid, hurrying toward the peeved princess.

"'What's the matter?' 'What's the _matter_?'" She screamed, balling her fists in rage. "_That man_ is the _matter_!" she flung her hand toward the entrance from which she had just come from, and in the doorway now was a pink-haired prince with an exasperated look on his face. The princess was still alive with fury. "_Who_ in their _right mind_ would allow someone like _Cesar_ into _my room_?! I'm a _young girl_, for _heaven's sake_!"

The nervous maid's cheeks colored. "W-well... h-he is...your, um, _partner_, y-your Highness, so, I, um...I didn't think..."

"That's _right_," the Princess cut her off, "You _didn't_ think."She rounded off on the guardsman. "And what were _you_ doing when I _screamed_?! When a _young girl_ like _me_ screams, the men had better _hop-to_ and _help out_ a little instead of just _standing_ there like a lump of _cold turkey_!"

The guard saluted, trying not to meet the princess' eye. "Y-yes'um!"

"Good. Now what are you going to do about _this man_?" She jabbed her thumb toward a baffled Prince Cesar who was still staring at Princess Celia dazedly. He shook himself awake and focused back onto the situation at hand.

"I _say_, my little Rose-of-the-Sea! I merely _knocked_ _on your_ _door_!" He protested, gliding past the nervous maid and gingerly taking the princess' hand. "Put down your thorns, my lovely! I only wished to dance with this Kingdom's _most beautiful flower_ in the light of morning's dawn! I desired nothing _heinous_ or _vulgar_! Perish the thought!" Princess Celia's face of rage was back for a moment, and she even raised her fist, but suddenly all signs of anger dissipated and she flashed the prince a smile.

"Oh, _Cesar_, you _charmer_!" She giggled and hugged his neck. "I'm not _really_ that pretty! I'm only a _young girl_, you know!" Cesar's face reflected a look of relief and he smiled as well as she let go of his neck

"_Nonsense_, Pearl-of-the-Ocean!" He replied, taking her hand and dropping to a knee. "You are more beautiful than the setting sun! More _glamourous_ than the rising moon!" Princess Celia's cheeks flushed, and she closed her eyes humbly.

"But, _Cesar_! You speak with the words of a _poet_! A _young girl_ like me cannot be _worthy_ of such _fine speech_!"

The guardsman and the maid had already left the 'romantic' scene, and began to tend to their jobs again, ignoring the mush and gush between the two. The relentless complimenting went on well past noon, and it was after lunch time that the two parted ways.

Princess Celia sighed dreamily at the patch of flowers in front of her. He thought she was "more beautiful than a grand flower garden"... How sweet was her dear, dear Cesar--

"Those are are called Pearly Everlasting, you know." commented a soft voice from behind Celia. "They grow pretty much everywhere, especially dry places." She turned to see a stoic Prince Liam, looking down at her as she sat on the white courtyard bench. He mustered a shy smile. "Ancient peoples used to make it into a medicinal tea to cure colds and coughs."

Celia shrugged, and looked back at the flowers. She could see where they got the name "pearly" from. The flower heads were round and white, some with yellow tufts in their centers. But while the buds were nice to look at, the stems were thick and woolly, the green leaves dark against the pure white of the stems and bracts. So except for its face, it was kind of an ugly flower, really.

"It's _gross_, Liam." He cocked his brow a little.

"Why's that, Celia?"

"_Well_, when you _first_ look at it, it's kind of _pretty_. But if you look a little _deeper_... like at it's leaves and stems and stuff? It's _gross_." Liam's smile grew a little more relaxed, and he looked at the Pearly Everlasting again.

"Flowers are kind of like people, then, huh."

"Hmm? How's that?" Celia looked back up at the prince, but he had already moved on to another group of flowers. She sighed and lifted herself from her spot on the bench to join him. He was now looking at a flower with several large, flat-topped, umbel clusters of tiny white flowers. At the center of the little flowers was a single red-purple flower, standing regally above the others. It was a very pretty little flower.

"Queen Anne's Lace." Liam said, and pointed at the center flower. "Named because Queen Anne was so self-centered that she was famous for it." Celia nodded, feining understanding. There seemed to be some meaning in Liam's words that she wasn't quite grasping, but she couldn't figure out what it was. They walked a little further down the path, and came to a patch of delicate white flowers with whorls of dark green leaves a couple centimeters below the pedals. Morning dew, amazingly, still glistened on the flowers; they had been in the shade for most of the day.

"Oh! How _lovely_, Liam!" Celia squealed, and hugged his arm in delight. "A _young girl_ like _me_ could _definitly_ do with one of these tucked behind her ear!" She reached down to pluck one, but Liam held her arm back.

"_Certainly_ not, Princess Celia. This is called the Windflower. While on the outside this flower is the pinnacle of beauty, when the stem is severed it emits a foul odor and is quite poisonous." Celia nodded her thanks to Liam. He gestured to the Windflower once again. "It saddens me when outermost _beauty_ is ruined by _innermost_ ugliness. Wouldn't you agree, Celia?" Celia shrugged, and looked at the Windflower again. Liam sighed heavily, but plucked a tall-stemmed large bowl-shaped flower with whitish-pink pedals. The center was a deep purple-red color with a large, yellow stamen growing from it. He gently put it into her hands and looked her straight in the eye.

"This... is a _Rosemallow_. It's beautiful, but it's beauty holds no depth. It's my least favorite flower for that reason, and that reason alone." With that and another shy smile, Liam headed out of the courtyard, without another word to Celia.

Dazedly, Celia glanced down at the Rosemallow flower. It really was beautiful. She smiled and placed it in her hair. A Rosemallow was the perfect flower to adorn a princess.

She journeyed from the courtyard and headed east toward the forest. The day was a little more than half over, and the heat of the sun on the flowers of Tango garden caused the floral scent to waft over to Celia. She took in a breath and floated toward the garden, thinking of Liam's meaningful words. Why did he have to be so cryptic? Why did he say all of those deep words, talking about flowers like they were alive? Why--

"Celia? What are you doing here?" Celia shook her head and looked around to see who was talking to her. A boy a little younger than she was was sitting on the bench next to the fountain in the center of the garden. Next to him lay a makeshift fishing pole and a little dirty wooden box.

"Hello, Vince." She replied, wandering over toward him. She took another look at the things beside him. "I guess you've been fishing, then."

"Yup!" He grinned, patting his pole. "And I'm heading out again with Michael in a bit, if you wanna come." Celia grimaced and swallowed a little.

"_Really_, Vince. A _young girl_ like _me_ isn't interested in something so _disgusting_ as fishing." Vince laughed.

"Yeah. I wouldn't imagine that a _young girl_ like _you_ would like _anything_ interesting!" Vince made a mockingly feminine gesture and dramatically reenacted the strut of a peacock for Celia. The brunette tightened her jaw and stood her ground. Vince laughed again, "Whoa! Don't get so mad! I was just kidding, Celia!" still laughing, he took off for Viennese Waltz Lake.

"Ooh, that Vince!" She cried, collapsing onto the bench where he had been sitting. "I _do not_ act like _that_!"

"You kind of _do_." a voice remarked beside Celia. She looked beside her and jumped when she realized that it was Vince again. "Sorry for spoiling my exit. Forgot my tackle box!" He tried to take off again, but Celia clasped onto his arm.

"I don't _really_ act like _that_, do I?" Vince sighed, and sat down next to Celia. "I'm not _snobbish_, right?"

"Uh, _no_... not at _all_...you're the _nicest_ _ever_..."

"Why _thank you_, Vince!" Celia said with a grin, "I just _knew_ that a _young girl _like _me_ couldn't be as _horrible_ as you made me out to be! Thank you!" Vince rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well... I'm gonna go fishing now..." He left Celia to herself and headed back to the lake.

.oO0Oo.

"_Princess_! Princess _Celia_! Wake up! Wake _up_, your Highness!" Princess Celia opened her eyes sleepily. What was that pain in her neck? "Princess Celia, _wake UP_!" Before her eyes floated a funny, shouting creature with a miffed expression on its face.

"...Kip...?..." Celia lifted herself from where she was laying and looked around. She yawned and stretched. "What are you yelling at me about now?

"Princess! What are you doing sleeping _here_?! In _Tango Garden_ of all places!" He was pacing about to and fro in front of Celia. "This sort of behavior is so _unbecoming_ of a _royal princess_! I can't believe you would do something so..." She zoned out of Kip's rant and fell in to a sort of trance. "...I don't think King Crown would _ever_ forgive me if he knew--"

"--Kip." He gave Celia a firm glare, having been cut off from his lecture. Celia slumped in the seat. "...Am I... _spoiled_?" Kip's expression of sternness turn to one of concern. He looked her in the eye seriously.

"Like _curdled milk_."

.oO0Oo.

"Kippy! What ever happened to your face-y?!" Exclaimed the little girl, blonde braids bouncing as she followed along after him. Kip glanced behind at her and grimaced as the breeze hit the still-tender bruise on his eye. He managed a small, crooked smile at her.

"...I..._fell_." he replied, clasping his paws behind his back, sinking in the air to fly at the girl's side. "But what are you doing walking around Waltz Castle all by yourself, Princess Harmony? Aren't you supposed to be with your own tutor?" Harmony looked down at her feet.

"I don't like Renny... She's boooring-y!" She peeked up at Kip with her green eyes, and shook head so that her long braids swung to and fro behind her. "I wanna follow Kippy... He's much cooler than that dumb ol' Renny!"

"Ren Purt Crast is NOT _boring-y_ --- er, she's not _boring_, that is." Kip growled and re-adjusted his mask. "And _I_ need to be going, Princess Harmony, Your Highness." He began to drift higher and further ahead than the little princess, until he heard a soft sob usher out from her. He sighed heavily and turned to see what was the matter. The princess had planted herself on the cobblestone floor of the castle's main hall and her face was running over with large, pitiful crocodile tears. Her bright and green eyes looked even bigger as she cried pathetically.

"Kippy always used to play with Harm-y, but now he has _Celi-y_, and doesn't like her anymore-y!" She whined, and Kip dragged himself back toward her. He placed his hand on her shoulder and tucked her tousled bangs back behind her ear. She really needed a haircut soon.

"That's nonsense, Your Highness." He told her, patting her head comfortingly. "I still like you. I just have more important things to do now than playing with you and your dolls." (His previous occupation was babysitting in the royal nursery...he was very happy to be rid of it and on to things better than working as a living jungle-gym)

"No, no, _no-y_! You don't love me any more-y!" Kip sighed and made her stand up and go back to the nursery where she belonged, assuring her all the way there that he-- indeed-- loved her very much and would never truly leave her. By the end of the journey through the halls, Princess Harmony was skipping and laughing, happy as a lark. As Kip shut the door to the nursery, he sighed with relief. Finally he could get back to his duties and--

"Very noble, Mr. '_Kippy_'." remarked a female voice behind him, and he turned to see a gray mouse-like creature in a muted brown sweatervest was smiling slyly from across the hall. She looked over her thick-framed horn rimmed glasses at him and slinked toward the nursury door. She turned the knob and opened it, never taking her eyes from Kip. "If it had been me I would have just let her wander the castle until she learned her lesson."

"...Ren." Kip answered somberly, taking hold of the doorframe and closing it before she could escape into the nursery confines, "...You need to _stay at your post_ and _do your job_."

"Like you're doing yours?"

"Yes, _exactly_ how I'm--" He looked at her and glared. "_I'm_ not doing _my_ job right now, _Ms_. _Crast_, simply because _you_ haven't been doing yours _adequately _up to this point!" She adjusted her spectacles to sit high at the bridge of her nose and huffed, folding her arms stubbornly.

"Well, _maybe_, I would be doing my job _adequately_ if _someone_ would quit _lecturing_ _me_ about it!" She flipped her mousy brown hair over her shoulder and gestured for Kip to move away from the door. He moved aside agitatedly.

"I expect you to do better with Harmony, Ren."

"And _I_ expect _you_ to mind your _own_ student... _not mine_!" She slammed the door behind her, and Kip sighed with resign. No, that Ren was _definitely_ not boring... more like _irritating in the extreme_. He pondered her not caring for Harmony the way she should. Did it not occur to her that the child she cared for was to one day become a powerful force in the government? That the fate of the entire Flower Kingdom was upon _that child's_ shoulders?? Whatever possessed Ren to take her job so lightly Kip would never know.

Finally, Kip was at the door to Princess Celia's chambers and opened it. The room was pink with flowers decorating everything every where. There was a large canopy bed in the center with a dresser right next to it. To the right of the bed sat a tea table and two elegantly-dressed young women were seated at it. One woman wore her hair in a high ponytail and wore a floor-skirting pink dress, while the other wore her hair in a low bun, a golden heart barrette pinning her bangs neatly back. She wore a thick blue ribbon around her neck with a bell dangling from the bow. Her dress was a beautiful azure with bows tied every once in a while around the bell of the dress. Though their dresses were different, the delicate features of their faces were the same. One was a princess.... and one was an imposter.

"Princess Celia. Celia. How are you two today?"

"Fine." They both answered at one time, bringing their teacups slowly to their mouths and sipping soundlessly. The Celia in the blue crossed one leg over the other and looked at Kip with big brown eyes. "You're late, Kip." He shuffled shyly in the doorway and looked down.

"...I was helping Princess Harmony back to her tutor, Celia." Kip looked from Celia to Celia, and the one in pink answered him with a sullen look on her face.

"How _kind_, Kip. But I'm _sure_ that my cousin could have gotten back to ol' _whats-her-name_ on her _own_. She's six, now, right?"

"Yes, Princess Celia." Kip took a seat across from the two and poured himself some tea. There was silence for a moment, the only sound coming from the clatter of teacups being set back on their plates. Finally, the Celia in the blue spoke up.

"I imagine you're wondering what the _real_ princess is doing here." Kip nodded, a couple teacake crumbs falling from around his mouth. The Celia in pink sat up a little straighter and dabbed her mouth with her napkin.

"Ah, yes, indeed." Her emerald eyes wandered about the room dreamily and almost sadly. "...I've come to tell you that I am not coming back to the Flower Kingdom after this visit, Kip." He stared at the princess, completely aghast.

"W—what?! What is the meaning of this?!" Princess Celia avoided Kip's gaze and stared out the window at the bright blue sky.

"I've become _so_ accustomed to this other world of Celia's. I've even... _fallen in love_."

"In _love_?! You been there a mere _two weeks_!" Kip exclaimed, throwing his fist down on the table, "You can't _possibly_ be in _love_!"

"What do _you_ know, Kip? _How_ _could_ you know? You're _not_ me. You never even _been_ in love before! Like you'd know!" Princess Celia yelled, clutching the hem of her dress in her fists. Her emerald eyes glinted in the light, reflecting off of a tear welling up. Kip rose in the air to meet her eyes.

"I _have_ been in love, _Your Highness_, and _you're_ the one who _doesn't know_!" With that, Kip flew from the room, leaving the two girls alone. The sun had begun to set already anyway, and he was expected at the lake. He took his thick black cloak from the nail outside the Princess' chambers and pulled it across his shoulders. At a brisk pace, Kip flew through the halls of the castle and exited through the courtyard, taking the usual path to Viennese Waltz Lake.

Only one person could calm his nerves now that he was worked up, and that was Narine.

Princess Narine; the woman in the Lake!

_**A/N:Whoo! This chapter took forever. But I think it's really pretty good for my first Princess Debut fanfiction! Now, listen. All of these flowers I've mentioned? They're real! I didn't make them up at all! Except for the fact that the Windflower doesn't really stink OR kill you... it has only POSSIBLE poisonous qualities. I stretched the truth a little. But only a little~! Tell me what you think! :3**_


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